BlizzCon 2016 World of Warcraft: What’s Next Panel Transcript

Patch 7.2 Artifact Updates: Mechanics

Hazzikostas: Next up: Artifacts. Like World Quests, another pillar of Legion that we are incredibly happy with, incredibly psyched about how these have turned out and we want to and we need to continue updating them with content, with rewards, and fleshing out the system so that Artifact Power is something that is valuable and that you desire for as long as Legion is Legion.

So first off, we are going to be introducing the ability to further empower your artifact, unlocking all-new traits, never before seen, and putting a new gold border one (a tree pointer), and an utility trait that you can work your way towards.

At the same time, you also empower your existent artifact in a way that let’s you put a fourth point in all your minor traits. That’s going to be a total of 15 new points that you can spend once you have empowered your weapon in 7.2.

Of course, in order to make this reasonable, to not make this ridiculous insane grind, there will of course be new Artifact knowledge levels that will let you continue to catch up. Obviously, as time goes on (actually I mentioned this in 7.1.5 context), we become increasingly sensitive and we think a lot about alt friendliness, about main switching, about someone who kicks up the expansion a few months in and what their experience is going to be like; and so in 7.1.5, we are actually rolling out some Artifact Knowledge catch-up mechanisms where if you were in decent ways behind the cutting-edge in terms of Knowledge, you can just purchase knowledge directly with Order resources, from your researcher without having to wait those multiple days for the Work Orders up to at least 10 or more.

That way you can just play the game, instead of feeling like there is no point trying to progress your alts until you get past this feeling, this arbitrary time gate, just: Spend your order resources… Go!

Also in 7.2, we are going to be varying up Relics a little bit. We are going to be introducing new types of Relics that can modify not one, but two traits. So you have some all-new combinations you can unlock if there are a couple of things you think that synergize really well with each other and your Artifact, you can look for items that you are going to modify them in combination and really push the power level of your weapon and your character farther than ever before.

Patch 7.2 Artifact Updates: Content

There are some mechanics that you are going to be earning, but there is of course content to go with those mechanics. As there was when you first obtained your artifact, you first went out and went through the storyline that led to claiming your weapon as your own, in 7.2 we will see a continuation of that Artifact questline; and so anyone who has unlocked most of the Artifact up until that point will be able to jump on to 7.2, do this continuation, and that is what will allow you to further empower your weapon, unlock these additional 15 points that I just mentioned.

But even further, after that, there is also a new appearance that we will make available for every single weapon. now there are 5 appearances for each Artifact, permanently available in the game. There is the base one you begin with. There is what we consider the upgradeable form of that that you get from finishing your Class Order campaign, there is the PvP one that you get from dedication to PvP gameplay and Prestiging, there is the Organized PvE one that you get from organized dungeon and raid content (and a lot of appearances there), and there is the hidden one which you don’t get. Sorry, we are working on that. But what we are adding to flush that out is a solo one.

An appearance that recognizes not time-commitment, or organized-gameplay, but dedication and mastery of your specialization. This is very much inspired by the Rhok’delar questline back in Classic World of Warcraft, by the Priest Questline for the Anatema and Benediction, or more recently by Warlocks and Green Fire in Mists of Pandaria.

The idea is there will be a difficult challenge to test your skills with your spec, and if you can overcome it then this is something that awaits you. So we will go through these very quickly since we have got 12 classes. These are the Death Knight appearances: Frost, Unholy, and Blood. Demon Hunter: Havoc and Vengeance. Druid: you can get that spectral catform that we showed off at GamesCom last year, oh wait– Guardian isn’t here. That’s weird. Oh yea, here!

(Audience roars in excitement)

A very different type of bearform, this is almost like a werebear, new animation, different style, if you see one of these tanking your dungeon, you know they are a good player because they completed the challenge in Guardian Druid test. Hunters. Mages. Monks. Paladins (there is that shattered Asbhbringer in the middle there that we showed off well over a year ago that now you will be able to get. Priest. Rogues. Shamans. Warlocks. Want dress your floating your skull some more? You can do that. And Warriors. That’s weird. I think down in the middle that looks like a Flail or a Morning Star, or something. I didn’t know WoW could do that! Yes, it can! Weapon physics. It’s a thing.

Those are some of the artifact rewards you can earn, you can seek out and claim if you are good enough. it is the only barrier.

Tomas Hernandez is owner of Blizzplanet.com since 2003. I post news about World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, Diablo III, Hearthstone, Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard Careers, and the Warcraft film.

Blizzplanet is a leading fansite covering news about upcoming Blizzard Entertainment licensed products. I also post previews and reviews. I have interviewed book writers and Blizzard game developers.

I was previously an employee of the OGaming Network (2003), and IncGamers (2008-2010). I was a guest newsposter for GosuGamers (World of Warcraft) a few years ago and for Diablofans.com (formerly Diablo3.com)

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